1. How to Charge $546 for Six Liters of Salt Water (via The New York Times)
On the forefront of discussion concerning Obamacare’s effects on healthcare costs–particularly on how it affects individually-purchased insurance plans–here’s an alarming (yet impressively performed) investigation into the aftermath of a food poisoning outbreak at a Buddhist monastery in New York.
“It is no secret that medical care in the United States is overpriced. But as the tale of the humble IV bag shows all too clearly, it is secrecy that helps keep prices high: hidden in the underbrush of transactions among multiple buyers and sellers, and in the hieroglyphics of hospital bills.”
This piece ultimately serves as an exemplar of the greed, caginess and monetary inconsistencies that plague the American healthcare system (and the irony that the origination of this lesson is a Buddhist monastery is not lost on us).
2. Hemingway, Thoreau, Jefferson and the Virtues of a Good Long Walk [via Huffington Post]
This beautifully written, excellently sourced ode to the stroll articulates a multitude of benefits, from inspired creativity, increased cognitive performance, avoidance of burnout and mood boosts to a heightened physical and spiritual connectedness with ourselves, our community and the world.
3. Sitting Down is Killing You [via Daily Infographic]
If you somehow missed this mention in the article above, you must check out this stimulating infographic. I (somewhat guiltily) advise you to bookmark this site immediately, but only frequent it if you have one of those treadmill desks, as you will get entranced.
4. An Oral History of Apple Design: 2000 [via Fast Company]
The first of a two-part series, here begins the tale of the 37-year development of a cornerstone in design, as told by the people who contributed their brainpower to the cause.
5. Is LinkedIn Cheating Employers and Job Seekers Alike? [via PBS NewsHour]
As LinkedIn’s efforts for generating revenue have evolved, so has the professional social networking site itself–into a job board that manipulates its database for cash.
Here a veteran Silicone Valley headhunter deconstructs how LinkedIn is really matching employers and job applicants who pay for premium services, also offering his views on the success (or lack thereof) of other job boards.
Have you ever succeeded in finding employment or filling a position in your company through a major job board? Let us know!
6. 15 Career Pros Boomers Should Follow On Twitter [via Forbes]
As more and more of the Baby Boomer set engages in social media and sees its value–particularly professionally–I am increasingly approached with questions from the mid-life set about such matters (I reckon it’s the cross I must bear given my background as an educator of digital communication). Most often I hear curiosities surrounding Twitter and how to personally cater it to one’s needs, as well as the widespread sentiment of simply being too overwhelmed to dive in. Here is a great starter guide for the career-focused Boomer who is ready to join the conversation (and remember, it only takes 140 characters at a time to do so!).
Who are your favorite professionals–both local and national–to follow on Twitter?
7. How to get past the print-first mindset [via John Kroll Digital]
This article is a glimpse into the transition we are undergoing in the UBJ world, with a chuckle-inducing diagram of the print reporter’s brain and timely advice for our staff, as we throw the new responsibilities (and opportunities) of digital publishing into the already established workflow that was, until recently, print product-focused.
